Angel Beats! Our Heartbeats Intwined
by Bledsoe60
Summary: This is my continuation of the Angel Beats! plotline. When two star-crossed lovers part, can fate bring them together, against all odds? Please review after you read this, I would greatly appreciate your feedback!
1. Chapter 1: Memories of Another

**Note: Okay, guys! Time for a retry of an Angel Beats! fic!**

Otonashi looked at the view from his bedroom window. The sky was still dark, as he had once again managed to get minimal sleep thanks to the recurring dreams that had plagued him for months now.

There were several of them, all with similar themes, but the most prominent one, the one that had - at this point - burned itself into his memory, was of a petite girl, platinum locks flowing in the wind, begging for freedom, her beautiful, golden eyes looking up at him, full of longing and regret.

Those eyes.

Those, piercing, lonesome eyes.

They filled him with both an unfathomable happiness, and a sadness deeper than he had ever felt before. A deep content, and a longing he was afraid could never be realized. All these emotins swired around inside him, culminating in a sensation he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Even though he was sure it was only a dream, the vividity of it made him doubt himself, if only a little.

He shook his head, eliminating the lingering thoughts from his mind. _Now isn't the time to think about that_, he thought, _I have to get ready for school_.

He turned from the window, slight smile on his face, and began to get dressed.

**Well, I hope you guys like the first chapter of my story! I am really looking forward to continuing this! Please review this and tell me what I need to improve on! :D**

**P.S. My chapters will be short. I am writing this story for the sole purpose of satisfying the lingering feelings of unfulfillment some of you may have, so I find length unnecessary as long as my point gets across.**


	2. Chapter 2: A Haunting Melody

**Note: Ya, screw Sunday. This is happening sooner!**

As Otonashi walked along the sidewalk on his way to the train station, he let his mind wander a little. He had gone this way so many times before, he could walk this path with his eyes closed. So he could afford to drift off a little and let his body do the work.

But something pulled him back into reality. It was... humming. He recognized the tune, but couldn't quite place it. He turned to find the source of the noise.

What he found surprised him.

He saw a small girl with a petite frame leaning against a large pillar, the pillar dwarfing her. She wore a large-brimmed hat atop her head, her medium length platinum locks spilling out the sides.

Instantly, his mind went to the girl from his dreams. _No way_, he thought,_ It couldn't be_. As he watched her push herself off from the pillar to depart, he felt his body begin to move by itself.

He didn't try to stop himself.

As he neared the girl, he felt himself growing lighter, as if his problems, fears, and worries were all disappearing as he moved ever closer. An outstretched hand closed the difference between the two, and he lay it to rest on her shoulder.

She turned.

Because of the height distance between them, he couldn't see her face underneath her hat, and she didn't seem to be too eager to raise her head. Oddly enough, he found her shyness to be cute.

"Umm, I'm sorry," he began, finally realizing just how strange this must seem, "but, that song you were humming just now, what was it?"

Slightly surprised at his question, she finally raised her head to look at him.

She looked up at him, and Yuzuru couldn't do anything but stare. Her golden eyes seemed to pierce him to the core of his being. It was as if she was looking, not at him, but _into_ him.

It only took a moment, but the second her eyes met his, his mind was flooded with memories he didn't know were his.

_A fishing stream._

_A dark passageway,_ as he saw this, a word formed in his head, _'Guild'._

_A gymnasium, himself surrounded by four others._

_A staircase overlooking a track field, the girl from his dream wrapped in his arm, his shirt wet, as if she were crying. He felt an overwhelming sadness encompass him, but aslo, slight happiness._

"Umm, I'm not really sure," she said, slightly embarassed, looking back down to hide the sight blush forming on her cheeks, "you're actually the first person to ever recognize it."

This snapped Yuzuru back into the scene unfolding before him, her voice playing in Yuzuru's ears like a sweet, soothing melody. He couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, a noise interrupted the two. It was Yuzuru's watch, sending the signal to him that he needed to hurry, or he would miss his train.

"I'm sorry," he stated, truly depressed in the fact that he had to leave, "but I have to catch my train."

He began to turn, but stopped. "Hey! What's your name?" he asked.

"Kanade Tachibana."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Yuzuru Otonashi." He hastily said his goodbyes, and he was off. _Hmm, Kanade. A beautiful, melodic name, just as its meaning implies_. He smiled to himself.

**That's it for now! More over the weekend! Please, tell me where I need to improve, so I can make my story better!**


	3. Chapter 3: Spicy Nostalgia

**Note: 5 day weekend from school, so I'm going to upoad a bunch of chapters!**

Kanade turned to leave, somewhat puzzled by the strange and inquisitive boy she had just met. So far, she had never known anyone who recognized that song, and she honestly couldn't figure out exactly how she knew it.

Walking away, she muttered his name uder her breath.

"Yuzuru..."

Suddenly, her eyes grew large, as she found herself sitting in an empty cafeteria parallel from the boy whom she had just met. They were each wearing some kind of school uniform, though she didn't recognize what school the clothes belonged to.

In front of her, sat a plate, relatively simple in design, yet somehow nostalgic in its feel. On it were chunks of what appeared to be tofu, soaked in a carmine colored sauce, bits of seasoning floating about. She had never eaten it before, but she felt as though she had. In fact, she felt that this was one of her favorite meals.

"Mabo tofu.."

For the first time, the boy in front of her looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers. She hadn't ever really looked at them before, but now she could see the underlying tones of happiness and content in those burgundy toned orbs of his. She smiled, though she knew not why.

"Huh? What did you say?" Yuzuru asked, tilting his head slightly as he did so.

"Oh. Nothing" She replied, dipping her spoon in the mabo tofu and lifting it to her lips.

While slightly spicy at first, she wasn't very bothered by it, simply savoring the aftertaste. The flavors swirled around in her mouth, and she enjoyed every bit of it.

"Isn't it hot?" Yuzuru asked, slightly surprised by her calm demeanor while eating the rumored "deadly" mabo tofu.

"No. Why? Should it be?"

Yuzuru laughed warmly, puzzling Kanade.

"I see," Yuzuru stated, "you like it for its taste, not the spiciness."

Kanade looked down at the tofu swirling around in her spoon. "So I like spicy mabo tofu?"

"Well, that's not really up to me." Yuzuru chuckled at the question.

"Hmm..."

After that, Kanade found herself once again standing on the street, nothing having changed.

Suddenly, she felt an intense longing, longing for that boy she had met not moments ago. She turned swiftly, almost too quick, as she nearly fell. Regaining her balance, her eyes scanned the streets. Spotting Yuzuru, she casually, yet hastily, made her way towards him. Tapping him on the shoulder, she smiled slightly as he turned towards her.

"Umm," she hesitated, not sure of how to state her question, "would you maybe want to get some lunch? That is if you're free.." She receeded into herself, her shyness taking over.

"Sure."

She looked up, startled slightly, and saw Yuzuru looking back at her, a wide grin adorning his features.

"I guess I can skip classes today." Yuzuru said, still smiling as he took her hand in his, not really realizing himself that he had done so.

She wasn't about to stop him.


	4. Chapter 4: A Date to Remember

**Note: Okay, time for the first date!**

As they walked, Yuzuru couldn't help but admire the girl strolling beside him, The girl whom he was fairly convinced, at this point, was the platinum haired girl from his dreams, an though he wasn't sure how this was possible, he honestly didn't really care.

It was then that the noticed the presence in his hand, its fingers intertwined with his own. He jumped back a little, releasing the soft hand from his firm grasp.

"I'm sorry," he frantically stating, bowing in apology, "I didn't realize-"

"It's okay," Kanade stated, slight smile on her face, causing Yuzuru to tilt his head slightly in confusion "I actually kind of enjoyed it."

Yuzuru was forced to turn away to hide the large blush that had formed on his face. After regaining his composure, he turned back towards her, firmly regrasping her soft hand in his.

"So," he began, not wanting to let the awkwardness of the situation settle in, "did you have anywhere specific in mind for lunch?"

"Actually, I have the perfect place in mind!" she said, smiling up at him with excitement in her eyes.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru looked over at Kanade, who was poring over her menu, though he had a sneaking suspicion she already knew what she wanted. He then looked down at his own menu, already laying open in front of him, pondering over what exactly he wanted to eat. After a few moments, he finally settled on teriyaki, so he looked back up at Kanade.

"Have you decided what you want to eat?" he said, hoping her desicion was a cheap one, as he insisted that he pay for the meal, and a students budget is nothing to marvel at.

"Yes!" she stated happily.

"Well, what is it?"

"It's a secret." she said, a look of playful evil on her face.

Before he could respond, the waiter made his way over to them. "Has the lovely couple decided what they wanted?" he asked, almost mockingly.

Yuzuru began trying to explain, "Oh no, we're not-"

"Mabo Tofu, please!" Kanade interrupted, causing Yuzuru to look over at her in genuine confusion. _Mabo tofu_, he thought to himself, _I've never heard of that before_.

His thought process was disrupted by the waiter, who had turned to him.

"And for you sir?"

"Oh, um, I'll have-"

"He'll have the mabo tofu too!" Kanade interrupted again. The waiter turned back to him, questioningly.

Yuzuru hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Ya, that sounds fine."

"Excellent!" the waiter said, snapping his notebook shut and turning to leave. After his departure, Yuzuru turned to Kanade. "What's mabo tofu?" he asked.

"Oh, you'll see!" she said, still playfully leading him along. Yuzuru sighed once again, resolved in his inability to control the situation.

After some uneventful idle chat, the waiter returned, carrying with him two plates. He set each of them down on the table, respectively giving one to Yuzuru, and one to Kanade. Yuzuru looking puzzlingly down at the meal sitting comfortably in front of him. He dipped his silverware in, and raised it to his face. He eyed Kanade, who was busily chowing down, paying no mind to Yuzuru.

Cautiously, he raised his spoon to his lips.

The flames that engulfed his mouth forced him to down not only his glass of water, but Kanade's as well, creating a huge fuss as he did so. Kanade tried immensely to supress her laughter, but in the end, she gave in.

She laughed heartily, distracting Yuzuru from his own perils. As he looked up at Kanade, the burning sensation all but disappeared from his mouth, and he smiled warmly. For some reason, seeing her, almost in tears from laughing, filled him with a deep sensation that he could find only one word to describe.

_Love_.


	5. Chapter 5: A Love That Transcends All

**Note: Okay guys this is the last chapter, but I've decided to take a page from NKC's book, and make more scenarios for them to fall in love, so expect more to come. I might also make an epilogue.**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Yuzuru sluggishly awoke, reaching across his bed to silence the alarm clock ringing in his ears. He yawned, and slowly sat up, stretching and bringing himself to a standing position.

He opened his curtains. Daylight shone through, forcing him to shield his eyes. Although he didn't take note of it at the time, the dreams that had been plaguing him for so long hadn't visited him since he met Kanade.

They had been spending time together every afternoon for the past few weeks. Slowly, they were opening up to eachother, and Yuzuru could feel their relationship growing with every passing day.

He had realized long ago that he was in love with her, but, being the coward that he is, couldn't bring himself to confess to her.

"But today," he said, to no one in particular, courage in his eyes, "I'm going to tell her how I feel."

Yuzuru began to get ready, deciding to dress up a tad. He put on a pair of black slacks, and a white button up shirt, finishing off his outfit with a sandy brown jacket. He walked downstairs, flung open his door, and departed.

-o-O-o-

As Kanade walked, she took the time to think over her plans for the day. By a twist of fate, she too developed feelings for Yuzuru, and planned to tell him how she felt today.

She had been letting her hair grow out, as it now flew about gently in the wind. She walked happily along the streets, both excited and somewhat nervous about the events that were to transpire.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru found Kanade at the spot they usually met up at, which happened to be the stone pillar where they "first" met. He approached, a large grin on his face.

"Hey, Kanade!" he shouted towards her. She turned her head, and upon seeing him, her face lit up.

"Yuzuru! I've been waiting for you. I have somewhere special I want to take you today!"

Yuzuru laughed, "You took the words right out of my mouth. I have a feeling I know where we're headed."

"The park!" they both stated in unison.

-o-O-o-

They walked hand in hand along the trail that led through the park. It wasn't too terribly crowded on this particular afternoon, but they both seemed to prefer it that way. They continued walking, make small chat and occasionally laughing at something the other had said.

They continued this trend until the sun began to set, then they proceeded toward their final destination: the fountain. The fountain had three, ornately chiseled, stone tiers, water cascading down from the top, only to reach the bottom and be funneled back upwards, endlessy repeating the cycle. A four-way intersection surrounded it, benches on all sides.

Stopping in front of one of the benches, they turned towards one another, gazing deeply into the others' eyes. This continued for a few more seconds, but to them, it felt like a lifetime. They could have stared into each others eyes until they withered from age, but the sun was ever slowly setting, and Yuzuru had an agenda that must be filled.

"Kanade," he started, "there's something I want to tell you."

Kanade noticed true happiness radiating from him, and she felt the same sensation coursing through her.

"But before I tell you though, there is something I want to get off my chest." he said, sighing deeply.

"What is it, Yuzuru? she asked, genuinely puzzled, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side.

"Kanade, for a long time, I've been having... 'dreams'. You were in them, even before I met you. But lately, I feel like they aren't just dreams, they almost seem like... memories." Kanade looked down in thought, surprised at what he was telling her.

Yuzuru continued, "The most vivid one is of you and I together on a staircase, at a highschool of sorts. I held you in my arms, and told you-"

"That you loved me." Kanade finished his sentence for him, causing Yuzuru's eyes to widen significantly.

"You told me you wanted us to stay together forever, and I thanked you for everything you had done for me." Kanade looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. This caused Yuzuru's eyes to wetten as well.

"But then I disappeared, not ever even returning your feelings to you." she said, somewhat angrily.

"I left you all alone, with an overwhelming sadness that I can't even imagine. I abandoned you." She was almost shouting now.

She continued her rant, "I never even told you tha-"

"Kanade, you talk to much."

As Kanade attempted to finish her statement, Yuzuru's suddenly lips met hers.

Time stopped around her, and although she was shocked at first, she soon returned his kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around him in a loving embrace. It lasted for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually, their lips reluctantly parted, and Yuzuru looked down at her, a warm smile on his face. He bent down.

"Kanade, I love you." he whispered into her ear, causing Kanade to blush and also fill with immense joy at the same time.

"I love _you_, Yuzuru." she returned, putting every last ounce of emotion she had into those three simple words. Finally able to return his feelings, she felt at ease. The two embraced one another, engaging once again in a passionate kiss.

"This time," Kanade stated after the two had seperated once more, "I promise you, that we will be together forever. Not even death will stop me from loving you, Yuzuru."

All Yuzuru could do was smile back at her, staring into her golden eyes, which, now, weren't filled with loneliness, but with compassion and love.

The two walked off arm in arm, as the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, signaling the start of their new life together.

**I'll be posting an epilogue soon!**


	6. Epilogue: It's A Beautiful Life

**Note: Ok guys! Epilogue time!**

Yuzuru awoke from his peaceful slumber, turning his head to the side. Seeing Kanade lying there,, arm innocently draped over him, filled him with love. All he could do was stare, eyeing over her features. It had been a number of years since they had fallen in love, but it didn't show on her one bit. Her face retained the same youth and beauty it had when he first layed eyes on her. They had both regained their memories from their shared Afterlife over time, and. because of this, he had only grown to love her more.

He was soon interrupted from his listless trance by a shrill cry which echoed across the house.

Fully awakened now, he propped himself up, Kanade's arm falling to her side. He silently got up, headed across the room, and opened the door that connected thier room with the nursery. He made his way to the crib in the middle of the room, and gazed upon the figure that lay within.

Their child.

They had decided to name her Yuki, as her hair was as white and pure as the fallen snow. She had Kanade's eyes, which now looked up at him, tears still enveloping them. He picked her up, and cradled her in his arms. Her expression instantly flipped from sadness to happiness and as playfully reached for his hair and tugged on it, causing Yuzuru to wince slightly.

He heard a yawn come from the other room, signalling Kanade's return to conciousness as well. Footsteps approached the door, and a platinum haired woman made her way to Yuzuru's side, golden orbs seemingly glowing in the morning light that shown through the windows. She smiled up at him, then looked to her child.

"She's beautiful." Yuzuru commented.

"Of course," Kanade returned, ascending to her tip-toes, and laying a passionate kiss upon his cheek. Even though he was used to this by now, Yuzuru still felt a slight blush form on his cheeks. Kanade continued, "she's the embodiment of our love, after all."

Yuzuru took a little bit of time to consider his life, which he once viewed with disdain and indifference. He now held a different outlook, one of compassion and genuine love.

He was happy.

**Okay guys! That's it for book one! I'll begin writing book two probaly next week! I really hope you have enjoyed reading my story so far, and I can't wait to see what you think of the future tales of love I have in-store!**

**P.S. "Yuki" means "snow" in japanese**


	7. Book 2: Prologue: A Different Afterlife

Kanade gazed down upon the sleeping figure resting in front of her, eagerly anticipating his awakening. Almost on cue, the figure's eyes slowly began to open, two deep pools of burgundy gradually being revealed to the world. Kanade lay her hand on the figure's cheek, smiling warmly as she did so.

Yuzuru slowly regained conciousness, and drearily scanned his surrounding, taking note of the fact that he appeared to be lying in the middle of a road somewhere, finally resting his eyes on Kanade. She simply smiled down at him, hand unmoving.

Kanade giggled. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased playfully, although it appeared to be night wherever they were, "I've been waiting for you."

"Waiting? What? Where are we?" Yuzuru questioned, looking down at himself. He was clothed in a simple hospital gown.

"This is the Afterlife, Yuzuru." Kanade replied, much to Yuzuru's shock, his eyes widening significantly.

"What? But, we lived fulfilled lives. Why would we be here?" Yuzuru raised one eyebrow inquisitively.

"This place is different. I'm not sure exactly what its purpose is." Kanade frowned at this, removing her palm from Yuzuru's cheek.

Yuzuru simply sat for a moment, taking the information in. He meditatively raised his index finger and thumb to his chin, contemplating their situation. After what felt like hours, he sighed.

"This is perfect." He began, catching Kanade's attention. Yuzuru looked up at her, and she was surprised to see a large smile on his face," Now we get to fall in love all over again."

Slightly taken aback by this, she was filled with feelings of compassion, followed shortly by skepticism.

"How do you know we will find each other again? What if we are born in different countries?" she questioned, and Yuzuru simply looked at her, smile still adorning his features. He gazed deeply into her golden eyes, which always managed to fill him with a deep happiness. It had been far too long since he had seen her last.

"I know we will. No matter what the circumstances. I will find you, and you will find me. It's as simple as that." he reassured her.

"But how can you be for sure?" Kanade continued.

"I just... am." Yuzuru shrugged slightly.

Kanade thought about this for a second, and, accepting his words, she leaned down and placed a kiss upon his lips, causing Yuzuru to blush intensely.

"Well then," she bagan, trepidation obvious in her voice, "I guess I'll see you soon. I love you, Yuzuru." and then, much like a wonderful dream, she was gone.

Yuzuru now looked up at the moon hovering in the sky. He knew they would meet again, but he did not know how long it would take, and that one unanswered question left him with a sadness he knew all too well from their previous fairwell.

Shaking aside his feelings, he smiled inwardly to himself.

"Don't worry Kanade. I'm right behind you."

And with that, the streets of that Afterlife were left barren once again, the moon casting a pale, solemn glow down upon them.


	8. Bk 2: Chapter 1: Dangerous Confrontation

**Note: Alright, Book 2 time!**

Yuzuru made his way along the busy streets of uptown Ikebukuro one Monday morning on his routine, yet arduous, commute to University. He sighed deeply to himself.

"I hate Mondays," he moaned, "why do they even exist?"

As he trudged along, wishing simply to turn the other way and return to his comfortable bed, he felt an intense sense of nostalgia wash over him, as if someone had poured a bucket of water on him. He stopped, turning to his left, almost expecting someone to be there, waiting.

Of course, no one was there, save a lone stone pillar, so he simply brushed the whole thing off and continued his trek. It didn't require too much time to complete his journey and arrive at his destination, he even managed to get there with some time to spare, managing to stop and purchase a coffee while he waited, sipping on it contently in the student union. After finishing his warm beverage and tossing it in the wastebasket, the bell rang and he headed for the main building.

However, as he sat in his classes, rationing out only a small portion of his attention to the monotonous drolls of his various professors, he couldn't help feeling an irrational sense of unease. This made him uncomfortable, as he found himself unable to sit still in his seat, constantly shifting and creating a fairly decent amount of noise, much to the chagrin of those sitting near him, who eyed him menacingly. He offered silent apologies, and retreated into himself out of embarassment.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something just felt... off. It was increasingly irritating him, to the point where he skipped half of his calculus course just so he could cool off.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was intensely relieved when all his classes were finally over, finally able to retire to his humble apartment and get a little shuteye. He went about his quotidian after school custom of perusing the local shops in hopes of finding some new form of oddity. After the sun had disappeared and the moon took rule of the sky, he began to head home.

He meandered along, sensing himself to be in no particular mood whatsoever. He was interrupted from his thoughtless stupor by a sharp scream from a nearby alleyway. Before his concious mind even had time to react, his unconcious was already propelling his body forward towards the source of the noise.

Upon arrival on the scene, he was greeted by a group of at least four burly looking men, each wearing a leather jacket with the same design on the back, placing them together in some sort of gang. They were crowded over a small, cowering figure, who was visibly terrified by the situation unfolding in front of her.

Yuzuru wasted not a single moment. Bursting into a full sprint, he tackled one of the men with all his might, breaking the barrier trapping the poor girl. He was quickly up on his feet, spinning around to face the girl, meeting a pair of luminous orbs he felt all too familiar with. He froze for a moment.

Her golden eyes gazed up at him, pleading to him for salvation. Her luschious platinum locks, slightly dirtied from her encounter with the barbarians, still flowed freely in the evening breeze. Her pale complexion and overall innocence only added to her indubious beauty. He couldn't explain it, but he felt an overwhelming need, a craving, to protect this girl, no matter the cost.

"Go! You have to get out of here!" he called out after regaining his senses.

She said nothing in return, simply nodding her head in agreement. Bringing herslef to her feet, she quickly flew through the opening which Yuzuru had created a moment ago, turning once more to get a good picture of the man who had saved her, capturing the image of his red hair and narrowed burgundy eyes. With this, she disappeared around the corner, leaving Yuzuru to his own devices.

Yuzuru cast any lingering fear aside, as he turned to face the girl's assailants.

**Please tell me what you think of this, and thank you guys for reading!**


	9. Book 2: Chapter 2

"...zuru."

"Yuzuru."

"Yuzuru!"

Yuzuru's eyes began to open, and he gazed upon blurry figure sitting next to him. As his vision returned to him in full, he found it to be that of the girl he had saved from those gang members earlier.

Recalling the fact that he had gotten into a fight earlier, he quickly rose to a sitting position, causing him to clutch his side in pain. Feeling around, he found bruises and stitches covering the majority of his torso.

"Where am I?" he asked, letting out a large groan.

The girl who had been sitting silently now spoke. "You're in the hospital. Can't you tell?" Her voice was truly soothing, like a calm brook flowing ever onward, silently making it's journey to his ears.

He looked around. _Yup, definitely a hospital_, he thought to himself, _but I wonder why she's here?_

"Umm," he began hesitantly, "why are you here, exactly?"

"I've been here all night. You've been unconcious since yesterday." she replied nonchalantly, avoiding his actual question. Disregarding that, Yuzuru continued, "Oh, by the way, how did you know my name?"

"Huh?" She replied, titlting her head slightly.

He elaborated, "I heard you calling my name just before I woke up."

"Well, umm," she began, looking down so as to hide the slight blush on her face, "after I got away, I called the police and told them what was going on, then I ran back to help you. By the time I got there, though, those men had already gone."

Yuzuru thought he saw a tear fall onto her lap.

"You were just a bloody mess when I found you," she stated, clutching the ends of her skirt, "You had bruises and cut all over you, and it was all because of me. I felt so guilty that, when the police arrived, I insisted that I ride with you to the hospital. After we arrived, I was sitting next to you, and noticed that, on your chart, it said your name was Yuzuru."

"I see." Yuzuru said. The girl looked up at him finally, and was slightly surprised to find him smiling warmly at her. "Thank you, Kanade. It means a lot to me that you stayed by my side this whole time."

She blushed, but soon realized, though, that he had called her by her name. A name that she had not told him.

"How did you know my name?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"What? I-" Yuzuru was surprised, and his eyes widened slightly. "It just- it into my head, and I said it without realizing. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem weird." He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.

Kanade giggled. "It's fine, Yuzuru. It's actually kind of romantic." She leaned down, and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.

This time it was Yuzuru's turn to blush, as a huge wave of heat flooded his cheeks to the point that he thought he would burst into flames. Kanade quickly got up, waving goodbye and heading out the door.

Yuzuru reached his hand to where she had kissed him, a surprised look adorning his face. He held his hand there, and simply stared at nothing, taking in the moment, and contemplating what had happened.

He smiled to himself.


	10. Book 2: Chapter 3: The Plot Thickens

Something was wrong.

The sense of unease continued to race through Yuzuru's thoughts no matter how hard he tried to contain it.

He had noticed it this morning. Normally, he woke up, alarm or not, at a strict 6:00 AM. But today, he didn't brush off sleep until 7:00. For most, this would be a simple case of sleeping in, but Yuzuru didn't sleep in. Ever.

Afterwards, as he was walking to the usual meeting spot he and Kanade used when he took her on dates, he saw the clouds in the sky. Fierce, and threatening rain, yet not a drop ever touched the ground. It was as if the cloud's sole purpose was to completely block out the sun, and any happiness along with it.

Again, most would chock this up to simple weather problems, but not Yuzuru. He felt something different from these clouds. Something far more sinister.

It had been a solid month since he and Kanade had started dating, and he felt that things were going well, beyond well, even. He had managed to see her smile, her laugh, her beauty, and it was enough to make him realize that he was in love. But not a new, unexplored love. No. The love he felt seemed very familiar to him, like he had experienced it time and time again.

At the center of it all was that girl, Kanade Tachibana. The girl whom, at this point, he knew he could spend the rest of his life with, and then some.

Fear once again returning, he started to run, their meeting spot less than a block from where he was now. Upon arrival, he was greeted by nothing but a stone pillar, void of life, almost mocking him. It was 10:05 by the time he got there. She was late.

He began to sprint in the direction of Kanade's house, which, until recently, she had shared with her sister, Yukino, before she left to study abroad. He had been there only twice before, but he knew the way all too well. His feet carrying him almost faster than his body could move, he soon reached her door.

There was no more fear. Fear is reserved for those who still have the right to think that they are just imagining their worries. All that accompanied him now was terror. Pure and unrestrained.

The door to Kanade's house was no longer there, having been forced off of its hinges, now laying in the darkness of the house. Marring the doorframe, was an unmistakable red. The red that he recognized to be blood. Searching lower, he made out footprints, also colored that horrid red. Following them to the left of the house, he found a girl, and his vision blurred instantly, tears falling unrestrained onto her still form.

"KANADE!"

-o-O-o-

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been a while, and I have no excuse for my absence. In apology, I thought I would change it up, and do something extra special for you guys. Don't worry, the next chapter will be up soon, so don't feel too down! If you don't like how I'm taking the story, or have any concerns, feel free to voice them in a review!  
**


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